


Free or Dead

by coffeeandchocolate



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 08:22:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1851133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeeandchocolate/pseuds/coffeeandchocolate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alloran, Butcher of the Hork-Bajir,  meets the great great granddaughter of Seerow the Fool after the war has ended.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Free or Dead

“Prince Alloran,” the young Hork-Bajir said calmly, and for a moment he could not speak.

She was young, too young to have become a war general, far too young to have eyes  _so old._

“Toby Hamee," Alloran managed to say, inclining his head respectfully. What did he have to say to this child that had become a warrior? The children that had called themselves the Animorphs had at least known what it had been like to be normal. Toby had been born into war, into chaos, into pain.

This was the great granddaughter of Aldrea-Iskillion-Falan, the Andalite that had turned her back upon her people. This was the great great granddaughter of Prince Seerow the Fool. But what right did Alloran have to call anyone a fool?

Yes, Seerow's actions had resulted in the suffering of millions. But he had only sought to be kind. Alloran, too, had committed horrors in the pursuit of the greater good.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.  "I am so, so sorry."

How much had changed during those long years he had been imprisoned. The old Alloran would never have apologized for doing what he had believed was right. Never have apologized to a Hork-Bajir.

Toby scrutinized him. "You killed thousands of my people."

Alloran did not answer. How could he? It was true.

"You did it to stop the Yeerks from using their bodies," Toby continued. "It had nothing to do with the Hork-Bajir. It was for the entirely wrong reasons...but it was the right thing to do. It is far better to be dead than a slave."

Alloran stared at her in disbelief. "The quantum virus...it is an extremely painful way to die."

"Yes," Toby agreed. "You could have - should have - done more. But you were a Controller for years. Wouldn't you have preferred death, no matter how painful, to another moment as a slave?"

_Yes._

Alloran remembered being free, briefly, dying of snake venom, begging Elfangor's brother to kill him before he could be reinfested.

He remembered struggling against his Hork-Bajir captors as Esplin swam, not really believing he could free himself, but hoping that the Hork-Bajir would have no choice but to kill him and put an end to his misery.

He said nothing, but he could see in Toby's eyes that she knew his answer all the same.

The young Hork-Bajir smiled an odd, small smile at him. "I forgive you, Alloran, Butcher of the Hork-Bajir. It was war, and in war, we do what we must to win."


End file.
